Come join us if you can!

Concerned about our local food supply?

Are we committed to farming and food production in BC or not?

An evening with Corky Evans, MLA for Nelson Creston and David Cubberley, MLA for Saanich South

Wednesday April 16th
Cordova Bay Elementary School Gym
5238 Cordova Bay Road, Victoria, B.C.
7:00pm – 8:30pm

Opposition Critic for Agriculture, Corky Evans is touring rural B.C. to discuss the current state of agriculture in our province and to hear what farmers and other interested people have to say about the importance of supporting farmers, farmland and local food supply. Please join us for an entertaining discussion about a serious issue.


For more information contact:

Lana Popham at 652-4110 or barkingdog@shaw.ca

Laura Neil at 952-4418 or david.cubberley.mla@leg.bc.ca

Another try........

CRD considers collecting plastic bags in recycling boxes
Recycling the ubiquitous items deemed a better alternative to outright ban

Bill Cleverley
Times Colonist

Thursday, February 28, 2008

The Capital Regional District will investigate collecting plastic grocery bags through the blue box recycling program.

The region doesn't have the authority to ban the bags outright, and after discussing the issue for more than an hour yesterday, many members of the CRD's environment committee aren't convinced a ban would be a good idea.

Because the bags are so easily picked up by the wind, causing a litter problem, collecting the bags in the blue boxes has been viewed by CRD staff as problematic.

That could be a non-issue in about four years as discussions are underway with contractors and municipalities about moving to a single, large blue tote with a lid for collection of recyclables by 2012, Alan Summers, CRD manager of solid waste, told the committee. That idea could be fast-tracked and in the meantime staff have been instructed to open discussions with contractors about collecting the bags in the blue boxes.

The committee also recommended stepping up public education campaigns that emphasize things like returning bags to grocery stores.

Plastic bags make up less than one per cent of the waste at Hartland Landfill and Canadian litter audits show that plastic bags account for less than 0.5 per cent of household litter. As well, the majority of plastic bags are reused at least once.

But Saanich resident Lana Popham, who has been campaigning for months to have plastic grocery bags banned, told the committee that's not the point.

"I cannot emphasize more that if all the plastic grocery bags were to end up in the landfill, half our problem would be gone. Or, if they all ended up in our recycling systems, we would then be able to more easily focus our concerns. But the main problem is they don't all end up in those two places," she said.

Popham sees the problem as two-fold. The first is their production wastes oil and the second is that they escape into the environment, causing harm to a variety of species.

The committee also heard from Justin Sherwood, of the Canadian Council of Grocery Distributors, and Bruce Young, of the Canadian Industry Association, who both argued against a ban.

Young said not only are bans difficult to enforce, jurisdictions that have tried them have found they result in even more plastic ending up in landfills. With no grocery bags, people buy and use heavier kitchen catchers and other plastic bags for their trash.

Sherwood urged a "smart use" approach with a focus on education.

Committee chairwoman Susan Brice said society has already come a long way in terms of environmental awareness about plastic bags as evidenced by the number of people carrying reusable totes.

Victoria Coun. Dean Fortin said the plastic grocery bag is one of the "most visible symbols of environmental waste" and it would almost be worth imposing the ban for symbolic reasons even if it can't be enforced.

But Metchosin Mayor John Ranns disagreed.

"We are educating ourselves. We are changing. We are seeing changes I never thought we would in terms of social responsibility. We don't have to make a law for everything, and banning things as a symbolic gesture I really have a problem with. It's not reasoned lawmaking. It's lawmaking through ideology," Ranns said.

Victoria Coun. Geoff Young said that before any consideration is given to imposing a ban, staff should report on what the implications would be.

"Do people adjust? Does everyone start walking around with a string bag? Or, in fact does plastic consumption go up and stay up?" he asked.

"I've really had enough of political environmentalism. I think we should have a little bit of knowledge-based environmentalism, and that's what we should be doing first."

bcleverley@tc.canwest.com
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008

Yaaaaa for Jack Knox!

We're neck-deep in plastic. Is it time to bag the bag?

Jack Knox
Times Colonist

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Most notable new trend at this year's TC book sale? The arrival of the reusable shopping bag.

Every second person was packing one of the suddenly ubiquitous fabric carrier bags, the same ones that you always forget to throw back in the trunk after unloading the groceries.

The sight would have warmed Lana Popham's heart. The Saanich farmer -- she has Barking Dog Vineyard -- has been doggedly campaigning to eradicate plastic shopping bags from the local landscape.

In fact, she'll be back in front of the Capital Regional District's environment committee tomorrow, arguing her case. She would like to see plastic shopping bags banned altogether, but failing that, figures the CRD could drive them out of existence with a 50-cent-a-bag charge. "That alone would cause a voluntary ban."

Alas for Lana, the CRD says her idea is a non-starter, that the regional district doesn't have the authority to ban or tax bags. All it can really do is ban them from the landfill, but a staff report doesn't recommend that, either. Measured by weight, plastic bags make up less than one per cent of the rubbish in the Hartland dump.

Popham doesn't dispute that. "We all know it's not a landfill issue," she says. "If the bags all got to the landfill, that would be fine." What ticks her off are all the bags that end up in fields, or clogging culverts, or washing around the ocean. Besides, she says, oil is too precious and finite a resource to waste on plastic bags, which are made from petroleum. It has been estimated that more than 500 billion of them are used each year.

Popham's arguments echo those being heard worldwide. China has banned ultra-thin plastic bags; by some calculations, that will save 37 million barrels of crude each year. Ireland has effectively taxed bags out of existence. Last April, the Manitoba town of Leaf Rapids became the first Canadian town to ban them. In November, Langford's Real Canadian Superstore, which used to hand out 950,000 bags a year, became the first major retailer in B.C. to do away with them.

In January, CRD board member Vic Derman, a green-leaning Saanich councillor, asked regional district staff to report on ways to curb the excessive use of plastic bags. Staff have now responded with recommendations to increase education about recycling and alternatives to plastics, to ask that bags be included in provincial recycling regulations, and to look at a model bylaw similar to one governing pesticide use.

Those recommendations will be heard by the environment committee tomorrow. So will the arguments of Popham and, from another perspective, a representative of the Canadian Plastics Industry Association.

The industry argues that bans and taxes don't work, that they actually lead to an increase in the use of plastics and paper. "The prime example is Ireland's bag tax, which led to a 21 per cent increase in the amount of plastic consumed in Ireland as people substituted heavier plastic kitchen catchers which could be purchased off the shelf tax-free even though the number of bags distributed at checkout declined 90 per cent," stated a letter to the environment committee from Cindy Cirko, vice-president of the plastics association.

The plastics association proposes forming a partnership with the CRD and retailers to cut excessive use -- persuading big-box stores and others to launch in-store recycling programs, that sort of thing.

Popham isn't swayed by the association's arguments against bans and taxes: "It's their livelihood."

All of which still leaves the question of what you are supposed to do with your plastic bags right now. You can't put them in your blue box. (The CRD looked at adding them to the blue box program in 2005, when it was expanded to include other plastics and pizza boxes, but rejected the idea; they tend to blow around the street and, with little commercial value and a low tolerance for contamination, are unattractive to recyclers.) Most grocers have in-store recycling bins for plastic bags. Most now sell their own carrier bags, too -- an option, as the book sale showed, that more and more people are starting to take.
© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2008


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The plastics industry rearing their heads....

Canadian Plastics Industry Associations

To CRD Environment Committee Members


As the CRD explores issues related to plastic shopping bags, the Canadian Plastics Industry Association would like to provide you with an overview of experiences in other jurisdictions. The information provided is well documented on the public record and provides valuable lessons for policy initiatives on plastic shopping bags. The industry would also like to put forward some ideas on how we can partner together.

Let us begin by saying that we strongly agree with concerns about the “excessive or irresponsible” use of our product. While we recognize that plastic shopping bags are not a landfill problem (less than 1% of landfill), we believe this has to be about the wise use of our resources. These bags are a valuable resource and should be diverted from landfill as much as possible and recycled.

Many provinces in Canada have successful diversion programs for plastic shopping bags and achieve solid recycling rates – Alberta – 32%, Nova Scotia – 45%, B.C. 35%.
In fact, B.C. is the undisputed leader in voluntary product stewardship in Canada on in-store recycling of plastic shopping bags. Fifteen years ago, these progressive retailers put in place a province-wide network offering in-store recycling of plastic shopping bags. Many prominent retailers participate including Overwaitea, London Drugs, Safeway, Walmart, Save On Foods, Thrifty Foods, and Choices.

What has been learned
Experience in other jurisdictions shows that the best solution for plastic shopping bags is a constructive, positive approach. It is an approach that builds on the traditional environmental principles of reduce, re-use and recycle, effective partnerships, and public education programs that empower and motivate people to act.

Here are some of the lessons:
• bans and taxes don’t work - they have the complete opposite effect from what is intended and actually lead to greater consumption of plastic and paper
• the prime example is Ireland’s bag tax which led to a 21% increase in the amount of plastic consumed in Ireland as people substituted heavier plastic kitchen catchers which could be purchased off the shelf tax-free even though the number of bags distributed at checkout declined 90% (PIFA / Mike Kidwell Associates 2006)
• another example is Taiwan which lifted its ban on plastic bags in the fast food sector because it led to a mountain of waste (paper and plastic) going to landfill; Taiwan is now focusing on recycling
• North America is developing an approach based on diversion and recycling.
• many jurisdictions in Canada have highly successful diversion/recycling programs for bags on which to build a go forward solution


What other jurisdictions are doing
The issue of bag bans and taxes has been researched thoroughly in Europe and rejected by many advanced economies – Scotland, the U.K., New Zealand, Italy, the European Union, New York City, and the State of California.

The Scottish government, starting in 2004, spent two years in public hearings on the Irish bag tax (defacto ban) gathering expert opinion and listening to testimony from various governments. In the end, the Scottish government rejected this approach as bad public policy because bans/taxes have a number of negative unintended consequences such as actually increasing the amount of plastic consumed.

North America is moving aggressively on recycling and diversion from landfill. Many jurisdictions in the U.S. are enacting mandatory in-store bag recycling for large retailers across all classes of trade. The State of California law on mandatory recycling came into effect last July and New York City just passed their bylaw on mandatory recycling for plastic bags and film in their city.

In Canada, bans and taxes have been examined and rejected by the Union of B.C. Municipalities, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities, the Association of Manitoba Municipalities, the Greater Vancouver Regional District Waste Reduction Committee, and some 35 municipalities across the country.

Many municipalities are promoting wise use (the 3’R’s’) with highly successful grassroots “Say yes to reuse and recycling” programs. These programs are designed not only to expand the recycling infrastructure, but build public awareness and empower residents to reduce, reuse and recycle. Examples include Sault Ste Marie in Ontario, the City of Ottawa, and Halton and Durham Regions with their “Take-It-Back” Programs.

The way forward
The plastics industry would like to recommend a solution for consideration by the CRD; a solution focused on the 3 “R’s”. The proposed solution would:

- Build on the existing highly successful in-store recycling infrastructure in the CRD and expand it to include big box stores and mass merchandisers; CPIA would work with the CRD to organize a meeting with non-participating retailers to help get them on board.
- CPIA will undertake ongoing public education using the media and other tools to promote the 3 “R’s” on bags with residents; endorsed by the CRD.
- The CPIA will provide an actual listing of participating stores recycling bags to the CRD for loading on their website so that the CRD can help direct residents to stores recycling bags. The listing will be updated regularly by the CPIA.
- The CPIA will produce and provide free of charge 2’x3’ posters to each retail location recycling bags. These posters will be placed above the recycle bins in order to build profile of and promote the program to customers.
- The CPIA will contact the retailer associations in B.C. to provide assurances that all of their members will offer all choices including reusable bags, recycling, bins, and other options.
- The CPIA will undertake a media campaign on better bagging at checkout which will help reduce the number of bags distributed in the first place.

As a partner, we would ask that the CRD lend its support to these initiatives and endorse the 3 “R’s”. If you should have any further questions or would like to discuss in more detail what has happened in different countries, please feel free to contact me.

Yours truly,


Cathy Cirko
Vice President, Environment and Health
Canadian Plastics Industry Association
Email ccirko@cpia.ca
Tel.: 905-678-7405 ext 234

China Too!

China’s new ban on plastic bags may help protect marine life
From: Alana Herro, Worldwatch Institute
Published January 9, 2008 09:26 AM

China’s surprise crackdown on plastic bags, announced on Tuesday, will prohibit the production and distribution of ultra-thin bags beginning June 1. The ruling bans the manufacture, sale, and use of plastic bags under 0.025 millimeters thick and prohibits supermarkets and shops nationwide from handing out the sacks for free. With the move, China joins a growing list of regions, from San Francisco to South Africa, that are using taxes, bans, and other regulations to try to decrease the prevalence of the ubiquitous bags.

Some 4 to 5 trillion plastic bags—including large trash bags, thick shopping bags, and thin grocery bags—were produced globally in 2002, according to the Worldwatch Institute’s State of the World 2004 report. Roughly 80 percent of those bags were used in North America and Western Europe. Every year, Americans reportedly throw away 100 billion plastic grocery bags, which can clog drains, crowd landfills, and leave an unsightly blot on the landscape.

Perhaps less widely known is the destructive impact that plastic bags have on oceans and marine life. Tossed into waterways or washed down storm drains, the bags are the major source of human-related debris on the seabed, particularly near coastlines, according to the 2007 Worldwatch report Oceans in Peril: Protecting Marine Biodiversity. At least 267 different species are known to have suffered from entanglement or ingestion of marine debris, and plastics and other synthetic materials cause the most problems for marine animals and birds.

Every year, tens of thousands of whales, birds, seals, and turtles die from contact with ocean-borne plastic bags. The animals may mistake the bags for food, such as jellyfish, or simply become entangled. Plastic bags can take up to 1,000 years to break down, so even when an animal dies and decays after ingesting a bag, the plastic re-enters the environment, posing a continuing threat to wildlife. While most plastic bags eventually break down into tiny particles, smaller sea creatures may still eat the sand-sized fragments and concentrate toxic chemicals in their bodies.

In addition to the bans, taxes, and other government policies now in place to fight the plastic-bag scourge in countries like Bangladesh, Ireland, Kenya, and Taiwan, a variety of responses have emerged in the business community. Some companies now manufacture and purchase biodegradable bags or bags made from recycled materials, and a growing number offer in-store recycling for the receptacles. Although recycling the petroleum-based bags is not always cost-effective, one ton of recycled plastic bags can save 11 barrels of oil, according to an estimate in EJ Magazine.

Other responses include manual cleanups and bans on dumping plastic from ships at sea. Many anti-plastic-bag advocates support the commonsense approach offered by the Chinese government. “We should encourage people to return to carrying cloth bags, using baskets for their vegetables,” said a notice posted on the central government website.

Hurray for Whole Foods!

Whole Foods Market® to Sack Disposable Plastic Grocery Bags by Earth Day

Grocer Encourages Use of Reusable Shopping Bags, Declaring Today "Bring Your Own Bag Day;" Celebrates by Giving Away Over 50,000 Reusable Bags to Customers Companywide

AUSTIN, Texas. (January 22, 2008). Whole Foods Market (NASDAQ: WFMI), the world's leading natural and organic foods supermarket, announced today it will end the use of disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts in all of its 270 stores in the U.S., Canada and the U.K. with the goal to be plastic bag-free by Earth Day, April 22, 2008.

"Central to Whole Foods Market's core values is caring for our communities and the environment, and this includes adopting wise environmental practices," said A.C. Gallo, co-president and chief operating officer for Whole Foods Market. "More and more cities and countries are beginning to place serious restrictions on single-use plastic shopping bags since they don't break down in our landfills, can harm nature by clogging waterways and endangering wildlife, and litter our roadsides. Together with our shoppers, our gift to the planet this Earth Day will be reducing our environmental impact as we estimate we will keep 100 million new plastic grocery bags out of our environment between Earth Day and the end of this year alone."

The first U.S. supermarket to commit to completely eliminating disposable plastic grocery bags to help protect the environment and conserve resources, Whole Foods Market has declared today "Bring Your Own Bag Day" and will give out over 50,000 reusable shopping bags to customers at the checkouts this morning to celebrate today's announcement. "We hope to inspire shoppers to prompt positive environmental change by adopting the reusable bag mindset," added Gallo.

"Doing away with plastic grocery bags won't just help protect marine life, it's a key move in shifting us away from a 'consume-and-dispose' mentality," says Lisa Mastny, editor of the Worldwatch Institute report Oceans in Peril. "Disposable plastic bags can linger in the environment for more than 1,000 years and are the major debris item found on the seabed, especially near the coast."

"During our International Coastal Cleanup each year, our volunteers find hundreds of thousands of bags on beaches and in the ocean posing a threat to birds, turtles and other marine life. As people continue to learn more about the impact their lifestyle has on the environment, we find they are looking for personal solutions to global problems," said Laura Capps, senior vice president of communications and outreach with Ocean Conservancy. "We applaud Whole Foods Market for encouraging their customers to bring re-usable bags when shopping and for making better stewardship of our environment a part of their everyday lives."

Beginning immediately, each store in the Company will work on depleting stocks of disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts and will help raise awareness about the benefits of reusable bags. Over the next three months, stores will reduce plastic grocery bag inventories and increase selections of reusable bags for purchase.

Whole Foods Market has encouraged shoppers to bring their own bags for years by offering a refund of either five or ten cents at the checkouts, depending on the store. The Company also sells different types of reusable bags, ranging from canvas to its new large, stylish "A Better Bag" - a sound environmental choice since 80 percent of its content comes from recycled plastic bottles and it is an economical choice as well since it costs only 99 cents.

"Before Whole Foods Market decided to do away with this disposable plastic grocery bags at our checkouts, we ran tests in San Francisco, Toronto and Austin. Customers have overwhelmingly supported the plastic bag ban initiated by Whole Foods Market in these cities and applauded the progressive stance the stores have taken," said Gallo. "The response has been incredibly positive, and our customers are thanking us for doing this. Additionally, our Team Members are excited and passionate about taking this initiative, and we're finding it's created a great forum for discussion and awareness at the checkout counters."

Although the natural and organic grocer hopes to inspire shoppers to bring their own reusable bags, the Company will continue to offer an environmentally sensitive option when needed - 100 percent recycled paper grocery bags. Last year, Whole Foods Market became the first and only food retailer in North America to offer these recycled paper grocery bags made with 100 percent recycled fiber content, which also are completely recyclable.

Discontinuing disposable plastic grocery bags at the checkouts is another step in the Company's ongoing effort to provide more Earth-friendly bags and containers in its stores. Recently, Whole Foods Market stores began using all-natural fiber packaging at its salad and food bars. The fibers for the new containers come from plants that are cultivated or grow wild and are harvested annually. Additionally, the Company continues to seek alternatives to plastic bags in its bulk, produce, bakery and seafood departments.

"We realize there are many more steps to take, and we recognize it's an ongoing process to provide as much Earth-friendly packaging as possible," said Gallo. "We will continue to evaluate each department within our stores as we seek to continually improve."

More information can be found at online at www.wholefoodsmarket.com/byobag.

What will we use for our garbage if we don't have plastic grocery bags?

What will we use to put our garbage in?

This is the number one question I get from people when they contemplate a plastic grocery bag ban. I always try and shoot back this question: "Why do we buy so much garbage?"

It is almost overwhelming when we try and navigate through all the packaging that is pushed on us everyday. My friend Ian Graeme sent me this link and I think it is worth taking 20 minutes to watch. You may not agree with all of it, but it does make you think.

The Story Of Stuff

Could it happen in Vancouver? If so, why are we so slow to move?

Plastic bags could be a thing of the past

Tiffany Crawford, Canwest News Service

Published: Friday, January 25, 2008

Eradicating those unsightly plastic bags that hang in trees and clog landfills may not be in the bag just yet but the idea is reaching a fever pitch in Canada and around the world.

On Tuesday, Whole Foods Market, the world's largest natural-food retailer, announced it would stop giving out disposable plastic bags at the checkout counters. All of the retailer's 270 U.S., Canadian and U.K. stores aim to be free of bags by Earth Day on April 22 of this year. And earlier this month China launched a countrywide ban barring shop owners to hand out single-use bags.

Slowly ideas are changing about the need for plastic bags. But could they go the way of the VCR or at the very least become taboo like cigarettes?

"There is a shift in perception," says Tracey Saxby, a 30-year-old environmentalist who lives half of the year in Rossland, B.C., and the other half in Whistler, B.C. "We just don't need them."

Saxby, an Australian native, was one of the first people in North America to champion a ban in her adopted home of Rossland.

About 10 years ago, the budding environmentalist worked in a retail store in Australia, where incidentally the federal environment minister is currently seeking to ban all ultra-thin plastic bags by the end of the year.

She said she would question why she had to give customers a bag even for the tiniest item. It was then on a trip to Coles Bay in Tasmania that she became really passionate about doing something about the problem.

"It was really cool what was happening there because it's such a tourist attraction and all of these thousands of tourists who came to see the national park were also witnessing a town without plastic bags and really seeing it work, she said by phone from her family home in Brisbane.

The village of Coles Bay, which attracts about 25,000 tourists a year, became the first community in Australia to ban the bags in 2003. The move was copied by dozens more communities in Australia and across the globe.

So Saxby brought the idea home. She took the idea to city council last year in Rossland.

"I said Rossland, let's do this and the whole town got excited," she said. "There was an overwhelming fervour."

The town vied to be the first town in North America to go bag free, but that honour landed in the lap of the small community of Leaf Rapids, Man., on April 2, 2007. With just over 500 residents, city officials handed out more than 5,000 free cloth bags. Leaf Rapids is about 980 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

San Francisco became the first U.S. city to adopt a ban in March after efforts to impose a tax failed, while New Jersey is seeking to be the first state to phase out bags after government implemented a bill in November.

Large global cities are also jumping on board. London's 33 municipal authorities are pushing for an outright ban on plastic bags, and city council in New York trying to pass laws to bar the so-called white pollution.

"It's happening everywhere now," says Saxby, "Vancouver, Toronto, Whistler - all these places are looking at options and are committed to reducing or eliminating them. Reusable bags are everywhere."

The idea is gaining worldwide momentum. There are now restrictions or bans in Ireland, Taiwan, Kenya, Uganda, Zanzibar and South Africa, among others.

The chief administrator in Leaf Rapids, Martin Van Osch, says the whole community is willing to use the cloth bags to do their shopping. Local businesses could be fined $1,000 for ignoring the ban, but no fines have been levied.

"It's a good thing because people are learning that plastic bags are not free. There's a price," says Saxby.

It's estimated that plastic bags take about 1,000 years to break-down in the environment.

The tricky part of the equation for many Canadians is the perennial question: plastic or paper? But environmentalists say using paper isn't the answer either. Opponents say they use too many trees, create more greenhouse gas emissions in manufacturing and take up more space in landfills.

Environmentalists argue that consumers must look at other options.

"We wouldn't oppose a ban, but we currently propose a tax," said the leader of Canada's national Green Party Elizabeth May, noting a federal ban is highly unlikely in Canada.

"We need to convince consumers that, on so many levels, these are not essential products," she says. "It's a created false need."

Saxby agrees. "It was only in the '70s that we even started to use these plastic bags."

Tips to reduce plastic bag use:
. Buy cloth shopping bags available at most grocery stores
. If you are only buying a couple of items, consider carrying them.
. Consolidate purchases into one bag.
. Place fruit and veggies directly into your basket.
. Purchase lightweight mesh or cotton fruit and veggie bags to use for little things like peas or beans.
. Avoid double bagging.
. If an item already has a handle don't put it in another bag.
. Ask the store for produce boxes that you can re-use and then recycle.
. On a bike? Take a back-pack with you.

What can I use as a garbage bag?
. Compost organic material. Recycle as much as possible. Rinse your bin and reuse.
. Re-use newspaper to line your garbage bin: Save a few sheets of newspaper each week to wrap your rubbish or line your garbage bin. This helps minimize mess and is a good alternative to plastic garbage bin liners.
. Purchase biodegradable bags. While biodegradable bags are not the solution (we need to reduce our waste first!) they are a compromise if you feel you do need to line your bin.

What can I use to pick up dog poop?
. Re-use plastic bags that you get as packaging. For example, bread bags, or paper mushroom bags.
. Buy a dog-composting unit that you can install in a corner of your yard.
.Ask your local pet store to order a dog composting unit for you.

© Canwest News Ser

A bit of a spitting match.......

A letter sent to the Victoria News:

Lana Popham’s campaign to ban disposable plastic bags brings to mind
the observation of Westminster parliamentarian A.P. Herbert: “Let’s
find out what everybody is doing and then stop them doing it,” for
there was never a more easily compactible, convenient and clean
method for collecting articles from the shops, especially groceries.

On the other hand, the type of canvas receptacle, which she and her
Labrador dog are carrying in your photograph, are placed by some
people on the ground, in the dog basket or on the lavatory floor and
are thus thoroughly contaminated by the time they reach the turntable
at the grocery supermarket upon which other customers will follow
with their food purchases.

How often does Popham clean and disinfect the bags in which she
collects her groceries and does she ever place them on the checkout
turntables?

Disposable plastic or paper bags serve many other uses in our modern
world – ask Dog George about his toilet requirements.

Ralph Smith

Victoria


My emailed response:

Re: Many good uses for plastic bags

Although it may be quite satisfying to try and make a bad example out
of such a good one like reusable grocery bags, you raise a good
point. Reusable bags are washable. You wondered in your letter how
often do I wash these bags? Quite often. I think it it is important
to throw them into the wash in order to keep them clean for grocery
shopping. Try as you may to discourage my quest to ban plastic
grocery bags in our area but this will be in vain. You hit the nail
on the head with your further comments. Plastic grocery bags are a
modern day convenience. In fact, they are a ugly habit of
convenience. Such a wasteful product. So harmful to our
environment. But what about George? Thanks for asking. I take care
of his bag needs by using a biodegradable doggie bag. These are
"small" bags that break down after time. I do not use a large
grocery bag for this purpose. Here is a quip that is much more up to
date than your Westminster parliamentarian A.P. Herberts: : “Let’s
find out what everybody is doing and then ask why?"
Cheers,
Lana

Saanich News Update...

Plastic bag ban faces roadblocks
January 11, 2008


As Lana Popham took the next step in her quest to ban disposable plastic bags from the Capital Region, she hit another wall.

At this point, the greatest hindrance to Popham’s mission is confusion over who would be responsible for enacting such a bylaw – the Capital Regional District or individual municipalities.

“I would have liked to have spoken last night,” Popham said, referring to Monday night’s council meeting. “But I thought it quite commendable of Vic (Derman) to bring forward the motion so early in the year.

Coun. Derman added a resolution to Monday’s council meeting to help Popham with her cause, recommending councillors talk to CRD board members about drastically reducing the number of plastic bags in the region.

Popham’s already spoken to the CRD, though. In December, she faced the Solid Waste Advisory Committee, which told her it was up to each municipality to ban plastic bags.

Monday, Saanich council discussed the need for a bylaw against excessive use of the bags, but didn’t take any real action.

“This is a regional issue and actually more of a provincial issue,” Coun. Vicki Sanders said, though she didn’t specifically point to which body could make a bylaw happen.

However, moments before, Derman had said, “This is something at this time the regional authority doesn’t have the power to enact. We should use the CRD to co-ordinate municipal action in this region,” he added.

Coun. Judy Brownoff highlighted her wish to see one such bylaw, stating a survey of 20 grocery stores determined approximately 25 million plastic bags are used every year in the Victoria area.

With Saanich council not getting far with the resolution, Popham is taking her case to North Saanich council in the coming week.

“The last thing you can do is get discouraged,” she said. “Maybe North Saanich will end up being the leader on this one.”

ecardone@saanichnews.com

Life will go on after plastic bags banned

Written by Al Lubkowski - Saanich Resident January 3rd/2007

There is a growing legion of shoppers who are now boycotting plastic bags in favour of more environmentally friendly bags and bags that can be re-used. Good on them!

This phenomenon is a typical example of how residents like you and I can make a difference and in alliance with the private sector, show our regional and provincial governments who they need to follow.

For residents who believe the garbage pail liner and their way of life is being threatened, be reminded that there was life before plastic bags and there will be after, quite likely, a life more pleasant than before.

Many of us are beginning to realize there is a long-term price to be paid for the convenience of using plastic bags and their hydrocarbon progeny. Quite apart from the many problems these cause when dumped into our landfills, there is the even greater problem caused when these plastics are flushed, blown or otherwise disposed of into our rivers, lakes and oceans. Perhaps most important, it shows that many people the world over are now willing to take that extra step to pay that extra dollar and to change their life styles to ensure that there are no surprises in their children’s tap water or their fish ’n chips.

In B.C., a province where we pride ourselves on our beautiful surroundings and penchant for protecting this beauty, it is surprising that so little concerted action has been taken by local authorities and the province to reduce our incredible production of plastic waste. But as is often the case, this initiative must come from the grass roots, from people like Lana Popham and other community-minded individuals and associations who are spearheading this need to change.

While the issue of plastic versus biodegradable alternatives may not be as pressing as some others currently facing us, progress in phasing out plastic bags would be a symbolic step forward in weaning ourselves off the sacred cow of plastic – which in itself might be a good thing, providing us with the confidence to embark on more challenging environmental issues – of which there are many.

What you and I can do to help move this forward:

Make the change from plastic yourself. There are many alternatives to using plastic bags and more will certainly come. (even the District of Saanich for example has recently switched to biodegradable garbage bags for their in-house wastes).

Make your opinions known to politicians. The Capital Regional District will soon be involved in deciding whether to proceed with alternatives to plastic bags, if not to ban them outright. Saanich representatives who sit on the CRD Board and who will influence the vote on this issue are: Mayor Frank Leonard, councillors: Susan Brice, Judy Brownoff, Vic Derman and Lief Wergeland.

Come out and support phasing out plastic bags when this issue comes to debate and vote at the municipal or regional levels of government.

Al Lubkowski

Saanich

Lobby Misses Target - Saanich News

By Erin Cardone - Saanich News - January 02, 2007


Proposal to ban plastic bags not a CRD decision

Lana Popham did her homework in preparation for a presentation to the Capital Regional District board. Popham is lobbying for an all-out ban on disposable plastic bags from the region.

She collected statistics and signatures, did interviews and gave herself a pep talk.

It all culminated in eight minutes in front of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee in December. The Saanich resident was allowed to state her case only to learn she was presenting to the wrong audience.

“They told me that it was not a CRD issue and it was up to individual municipalities,” Popham said.

Despite the minor setback, her crusade isn’t over. Popham has scheduled a meeting with the municipality of North Saanich in January to make her presentation there.

She’ll move on to the region’s 12 other municipalities, asking each to ban plastic bags.

“I feel really hopeful,” Popham said. “I’ve had so much public support, so that keeps me going.”

In fact, Popham should have started her quest in front of individual municipalities, says Saanich’s municipal solicitor Chris Nation.

“Municipal council would do a consultation with the business community - grocery and retail stores that use plastic bags,” Nation said.

He added consultations with other interest groups, such as environmental groups, should take place. “Then council would ask staff to prepare a bylaw.”

Forming a bylaw, Nation said, wouldn’t have to go through a formal public hearing process.

Rather, councillors would either push it though or shut it down at a council meeting.

Popham has also asked to meet with the municipality of Saanich “as soon as possible” to get talking about the ban.

ecardone@saanichnews.com

Bag Ban Sacked By CRD - Monday Magazine

Lana Popham says being caught in a game of jurisdictional ping-pong between the Capital Regional District and its constituent municipalities won’t hamper her quest to see plastic grocery bags banned on the south Island.

Popham, a one-time—and future, she promises—candidate for Saanich council, asked the CRD’s Solid Waste Advisory Committee for an outright ban on disposable plastic grocery bags in the region at its December 13 meeting.

CRD didn’t bite however, citing Hartland Landfill manager Tom Watkins’ assessment that plastic bags account for only one percent of material in the dump.

CRD staff concluded a ban on plastic bags at the landfill would be too difficult to enforce, and bags won’t be added to the dump’s list of 13 banned materials by the close of 2008, as Popham initially requested.

But the Saanich farmer took that news in stride.

“Now the municipalities can be on notice that this issue will be coming soon to a meeting near you,” she says. Popham is already on the agenda for a January North Saanich council session.

Popham was rebuffed in her initial approaches to municipalities in the area and was instead told that banning bags qualified as a regional issue. However, CRD has said it does not have the authority to ban plastic bags at point of sale, nor does it have the regulatory authority to impose a tax on bags that would be passed on to users.

Saanich councillor and CRD director Judy Brownoff says the issue is one that concerns every municipality in the region.

“As a CRD director and a Saanich politician, I believe this is a regional issue,” she says. “It’s one of those issues that crosses all borders. Could we ban [plastic grocery bags]? I guess we could, but we’d have to get everyone to buy in,” she says.

Instead, Brownoff says businesses should voluntarily embrace the use of cloth totes.

“Yes, it will cost a little more up front, but the cloth bags with the businesses logo on the sides will be around for a lot longer,” she says.

In April 2007, Leaf Rapids, Manitoba, became the first Canadian municipality to impose an outright ban on plastic bags, with businesses risking fines up to $1,000 if they distribute them.

My Date With The CRD.....

Letter To Editors Of Local Papers:

So I did it. After months of preparation, hours of letter collecting, many interviews, time on talk shows, talking about it, writing about it, blogging about it, I did it. My 5 minutes in the spotlight came on Thursday, December 13th. I was allowed to speak for 5 minutes at the CRD Solid Waste Advisory Committee. But lets back up a few months. I began this campaign to reduce disposable plastic bags by asking many of our 13 Municipalities within the CRD if they could take action against wasteful plastic grocery bags. They said it was not up to individual Municipalities this was a CRD decision. I took that advice to heart. I knew I had better organize a lot support from our communities and have extra momentum when I landed in a CRD boardroom stating my case. So the day came. It was on Thursday. The boardroom was fancy. I was nervous. I had printed off 100 of my hundreds of letters of support and brought them with me. I had 5 minutes to speak…I took 8. What happened? They told me that it was not a CRD issue and it was up to individual municipalities. Ahhhh, time well spent.

My Presentation:

My name is Lana Popham. I am a resident of Saanich. I have come here today to ask you to recommend to the CRD Environment Committee, that by the end of 2008, a ban on disposable plastic grocery bag within the CRD will be implemented.

I know that is a bold request. I know that asking the CRD to instigate a ban may be too radical. I know that the word “Ban” can create controversy no matter what is being banned.

But I am asking for one, never the less. After my presentation, if I have not made a solid case for a ban then I have a secondary request.

My secondary request is that the CRD invests money into a substantial educational campaign in order to push a voluntary reduction of these bags.

I started researching this topic last spring. I began looking at my own carbon footprint. I started to audit myself. I began with the amount of km I was driving. This lead to trying to reduce the amount of fossil fuels I used per week. Because I live in rural Saanich and because I am on so many committees and go to so many meetings, I found that reducing the amount I was driving quite difficult. This led me to reduce other actions that used fossil fuels. The easiest one to reduce and actually completely eliminate was my use of disposable plastic grocery bags.

I looked at the amount of oil that went into making plastic bags. This includes the amount of oil and energy used to get the oil to make the bag, then there is the actual oil in the bag, then there is the amount of oil and fuel used to distribute the bags to retailers. So already, before the bags are even used they have a huge carbon footprint. A statistic from the US is that is takes 12 million barrels of oil to make the bags that the US consumes annually.

Here in Canada an average family of 4 uses 1000 plastic bags per year. This is alarming.

I then started to investigate other facts about these bags. I assumed they were a landfill issue. So I emailed Allan Summers. He didn’t hesitate to tell me that they were not a landfill issue. He asked me if I had ever been on a Hartland landfill tour. He said I should educate myself before I continue. So I did. I went on a tour with Tom Watkins. It was incredible. I learned how well the Hartland landfill is managed and I learned that these bags really are not a landfill issue at all. In fact they are 1% of the waste in the landfill.

So off I went to find out what the real problems with these bags are besides wasting oil.
And what I found out was shocking. The waste of fuel is an unacceptable but the destruction to our sea life and wildlife is unbearable. Our habit of convenience is escaping our systems. From what I have read, we are only recycling 1-4% of them. The rest of them are either being used as garbage bags, or escaping into our environment.

There are many reports that show the oceans are filled with plastic. A significant amount of this plastic is bags. I have a friend that is part of the Bowker Creek Society here in Victoria and he says that each time it rains heavily the storm water runs into Bowker Creek and with that storm water come plastic bags. This is one way they get into the oceans.

This escape is translating into millions of deaths around the world.
Floating plastic bags look like jellyfish to sea turtles. Dolphins, seals and whales will also eat plastic and, with a false sense of fullness, often die of starvation. When plastic breaks down into smaller pieces, smaller birds and fish eat it. This is well documented and is not insignificant.

Canadians alone are using 10 billion plastic bags per year. Why am I asking the CRD in this region to implement a ban? This is because we live on an Island. We are surrounded by ocean. The effects of plastics on sea life are happening in our oceans. You can talk to any avid boater in this area and they will tell stories of plastic bags getting stuck in there engines. It’s common.

The facts go on and on. Why do I think we are ready to take action to reduce plastic bags in our region? Because I have spent the past 3 months asking people if they are ready. And they are. I have hundreds of letters of support. These are people that I don’t know. They are people that I do know. They are people living in our CRD. They are individuals. They are Community Associations. They are businesses. They are David Suzuki, The Sierra Club, The Georgia Straight Alliance, they are Municipal Councilors, they are the TBUCK Suzuki Foundation, they are Dr. Sinclair Philips of the Sooke Harbour House, and they are MLA David Cubberly. And this is just a sample of people who are in support of the CRD taking action and being a leader.

This is not a new idea. This is not my idea. I am not speaking alone. All over the world people are taking action and asking leaders to take this small step towards less waste. It is a very small piece of the puzzle. If we cannot be brave enough to take this step it worries me that we won’t be able to take any steps.

San Francisco has banned non-biodegradable plastic bags in large grocery stores, Ireland has a $.20 tax per bag, France is banning plastic bags starting 2010 but will start in Paris next year, South Africa has banned thin plastic bags, and Uganda has banned thin plastic bags and has taxes on thicker ones. There is a big list of places that are taking action.

We need to be on the list of places that are taking leadership. The time has come to take this step. I don’t want to hear why we can’t do it. I want to hear how we will do it. We have plenty of examples from around the world. We can learn from the successes and failures in order to create a successful, efficient, friendly, publicly acceptable model. I am asking you to be leaders. I am asking you to make a move.

Lana Popham
Saanich BC

A little challenge....in the Saanich News.

Keep holidays plastic bag free

Holiday shopping has begun. Although I would like to expound on the value of shopping for sustainable gifts I am choosing instead to put out a challenge to holiday shoppers. Each time you go out to purchase gifts in the Capital region, I challenge you to bring your own reusable shopping bags. I challenge you to return home with your purchases and not with any extra plastic shopping bags. This is not a difficult challenge but imagine if all shoppers did this over the next month. How many bags would we save from entering and destroying our environment? How many barrels of oil would we conserve if we just said no. So simple, so important. I challenge all of you.

Lana Popham

Saanich

Remember the days when we were so crazy and used plastic grocery bags?

‘People will get used to it’

Going green looks fine to shoppers

BY CARLAWILSON Times Colonist staff

Customers at Langford’s Real Canadian Superstore didn’t seem to mind bringing their own bags to the checkout yesterday, as the store became what it says is the first major grocery retailer in B.C. to go plastic-bag free.

Shoppers packed purchases into reusable bags and plastic bins, as well as old plastic bags. Many had already switched to cloth bags, part of a growing movement against single-use plastic bags.

“The idea is a good thing,” said shopper Oscar Trachsel of Metchosin. “People will get used to it.”

Langford’s Nancy Peddie, who packed close to $200 worth of groceries into plastic bags saved from previous shopping trips, agreed. “There are too many [plastic bags] out there.”

The 127,500-square-foot Langford store is the second Superstore in the chain to eliminate plastic bags, as part of the company’s goal of reducing the number dumped in landfills by a billion a year. The first was in Milton, Ont., where the move was “very, very popular,” said Lori Stene, spokeswoman for parent company Loblaw Cos. Ltd. “People in general are looking for ways to be more environmentally responsible.”

About 950,000 plastic bags a year were distributed from the Langford store prior to the ban. To replace them, the store has sent Langford households reusable bags made from 85 per cent recycled plastic water bottles, Stene said. The bags are selling for two for 99 cents until Dec. 8. Area residents also received a coupon for a free plastic bin with a minimum purchase of $25.

Lana Popham of Central Saanich showed up at the store yesterday with a letter congratulating the company, and is urging other grocery chains to follow the example. She wants a ban on disposable plastic bags in the region by the end of 2008. “Timing is everything and I think people are ready for this change. People are sick of wasting.”

Environmentalists say Canadians use about 10 billion plastic bags a year. Many end up in the ocean, where they look like jellyfish and are swallowed by animals such as whales, sea turtles and sea birds, Popham said. Dumped in landfills, the bags have been predicted to last up to 1,000 years.

The move to ban or limit the bags is global. Tiny towns like Leaf Rapids, Man., to big cities like San Francisco, have banned the bags, while Ireland has a “plastax” of about 20 cents per bag.

Already, most grocery store chains in Greater Victoria sell reusable bags, and many pay customers a few cents for each bag they reuse.

Date with the CRD.

I have received the date that I am able to present my case. I have approximatley 5 minutes to speak in front of the Solid Waste Advisory Committee (SWAC) on December 13th. I have received many letters of support and I am excited about that. But, I could always use more.
I will be requesting a total ban on plastic grocery bags, with a second request trailing behind. My second request will be, that if the CRD in unprepared to grant my first request, they consider a total education campaign about reusable bags. This education campaign would be loaded with the facts about the damage plastic bags do to our environment. It would explain the waste factor. Basically education would drive a voluntary ban. This would be money well spent!
Even if they decide that my first request is reasonable, education would have to accompany it.
I am excited to speak with them!

Comment by the TC!

Editorial: The end of plastic bags

Times Colonist

Published: Wednesday, November 14, 2007

So life ends for the ubiquitous white plastic grocery bag. Only 30 years ago, it muscled paper bags aside at the checkout counter, a triumph of technology and petrochemicals.

And tomorrow, the plastic bag gets shoved out in its turn, as the Langford Real Canadian Superstore quits keeping the bags on hand for customers. More than any talk of bans or taxes, this signals the beginning of the end for the plastic bag.

After all, this isn't some organic food market in Fairfield that's giving plastic the push in favour of hemp bags. The Superstore is a classic big-box shrine to shopping. If the green winds are blowing strongly enough to sweep plastic bags from its bank of checkout counters, then their future looks bleak everywhere.

Superstore is getting rid of the bags as part of the effort by parent Loblaw Companies to go green. British Columbians use about 1.3 billion bags a year -- 3.5 million a day.

Even with reuse, more than 95 per cent of the bags end up in landfills -- or waving sadly from tree branches and fence lines.

Defenders end up arguing mainly that other environmental issues are more important. They do say the bags don't contribute much volume to waste and that if people don't get them at the store, they'll just end up buying other plastic bags to use around the house.

But waste is waste. The bags have acquired a symbolic importance, showcasing our willingness to use hydrocarbons to create a product with a lifespan of days that remains in the environment -- including the oceans -- for centuries.

Other jurisdictions have taken steps to curb the plastic bag's use. Ireland introduced a tax on plastic bags -- about 22 cents -- in 2002. Their use has fallen by 90 per cent since then. Communities from Leaf Rapids, Man., to San Francisco have banned the bags. London has joined other British communities in seeking legislation bringing a ban.

The action by Superstore suggests the change is coming in Canada with or without government action. The company, an astute marketer, has decided the public today is opting for the environment over convenience.

More than that, the ban shows just how much our attitudes have shifted toward environmental concern.

Just 40 years ago, we welcomed plastic bags as yet another example of modern life's ability to deliver up new improved versions of whatever came before.

Now, we're looking back to cloth bags and carry carts, choosing conservation over convenience. It's a welcome change.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007

A bold move.....Who is next to step up?

Langford store B.C.'s first to ban plastic bags

CanWest News Service

Published: Friday, November 09, 2007

VANCOUVER -- Shoppers at the Real Canadian Superstore in Langford will notice a big change when they check out their groceries beginning next Thursday: no plastic bags.

As part of the national retailer's green initiative, the grocery chain has selected the West Shore store -- which is being relaunched next week -- to be what it calls the first major grocery and general merchandise retail store in B.C. to eliminate traditional plastic bags at the checkout.

As part of the plan, each household in Langford will be mailed a complementary reusable "green bag" and a coupon for a free "green box" with a minimum $25 purchase. The green box fits into a shopping cart and holds the equivalent of three to five plastic bags worth of groceries.

Until Dec. 8, shoppers will be offered a buy-one-get-one-free deal for the green bag and $1 off additional green boxes.

As well, shoppers may bring in any reusable bag, even from another retailer, for their purchases.

According to its news release, Loblaw Companies Ltd. made a commitment in April to reduce one billion plastic grocery bags from Canada's landfills within one year.

It said that reducing the number of plastic grocery bags offered in stores and offering more sustainable choices, will help achieve this goal. Currently, the release stated, Canadians use about 10 billion plastic bags per year.

IN THE BAG

- Estimated number of plastic bags that are handed out worldwide each minute: one million.

- Estimated number of plastic bags that end up in landfills each year worldwide: 500 billion to one trillion.

- Estimated volume of plastic bags that end up in Canadian landfills each year: 28 million kilograms.

- Number of plastic bags Canadians use each year: 10 billion.

- Number of plastic bags that Loblaw Companies Limited hopes to reduce from Canada's landfills in a year: one billion.

- Estimated energy equivalent saved when one tonne of plastic bags is reused or recycled: 11 barrels of oil.

© Times Colonist (Victoria) 2007

Bags of Bags!

Ban bags? But what will I put my garbage in? Let me tell you, if I had a plastic bag for every time I heard this...I would have bags and bags and bags of bags!
All kidding aside, this is a really good question. What to put our garbage in? Let's face it, plastic grocery bags are the perfect size for going under the sink to collect our waste. So there is a reuse for them....just not all of them. I have gone and purchased "Biobags" from the grocery store. They are not cheap. They come to about .50cents a bag. They are compostable and biodegradable. So that is an option. I like it because it makes me reconsider what is going into the garbage as waste. It makes me think about what I am buying. So I am trying to choose more recyclable packaging instead of waste packaging. BUT...some people do not want to buy garbage bags. Fair enough. So here is a thought. If you must use plastic grocery bags for your garbage then only get the exact amount you need for garbage. Figure it out. Do you throw out 2 bags of garbage every week? Then limit your plastic bags consumption to two bags. The rest of the time use reusable bags. We don't need bags of bags under our sinks....
Enough ranting for one sunny day,
Lana